Shuttle-release mechanism



May 27 1924. 1,495,606

' W. J. MCMICHAEL SHUTTLE RELEAS E MECHANI SM Patented May 27, 192% U N E T p A T Application filed May 18,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM J. Mo- MicHAEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woonsocket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shuttle-Release Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

Looms as now commonly constructed are provided with shuttle boxes at opposite ends of the lay to receive the shuttle at the end of its throw in position to be struck by the picker stick at the corresponding end to be returned. As the speed of the shuttle is very considerable-it is necessary to provide means to check it as it enters the box to protect the picker stick from the force of the blow otherwise imparted thereto, such means usually comprising a binder or swell adapted to swing laterally under spring pressure and to contact with the side of the shuttle which must crowd it outwardly against the action of the spring in entering the box. The resistance to the movement of the shuttle imposed by this construction is necessarily considerable since it is required to overcome the momentum of the shuttle and it offers resistance not only to the movement of the shuttle in entering the box but also in leavingit, thus adding to the power requiredto actuate the picker stick.

According to this invention, therefore, this resistance to the movement of the shuttle is released just prior to the action of the picker stick in ejecting it from the box but is permitted to act when the shuttle enters the box. As it is also common to provide mechanism for automatically stopping the loom on a misthrow of the shuttle, usually associated with the swell or binder and becoming active when the latter fails to be moved out by the entry of the shuttle into the box, this invention provides such a binder-releasing means which does not interfere in any way with the proper action of the stop mecha nism.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, together with further objects and advantageous details and combinations of parts, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary end view of the loom showingthe invention applied thereto. Figure ;2 is afragmenta'ry front elevation.

Figure 3' is an enlarged View similar to a SHUTTLE-RELEASE MECHANISM.

1923. Serial No. 639,783.

portion of Figure 1, but showing a slight modification.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating a further modification.

Figures 5 and 6 are a fragmentary plan and elevation, respectively, illustrating portions of the stop mechanism.

Referring firstto Figures 1 and 2, 1 indicates an end frame of the loom. to the lower forward portion of which is pivoted the swinging arm 2 which carries at its upper ends the shuttle boxes 3, the shuttles of which are designed to be ejected at suitable times for their flights across the lay .4 past the reed P by means of a'picker stick 5 in the usual manner. The boxes are arranged to be closed at their forward faces by swells or binders 6 which are, pivotally connected at 7 to the outer end of each box and whose inner ends are adapted to be pressed rearwardly to partially close the box by means of a finger 8 which is provided with an angular face 9 adapted to bear against the swell or hinder 6 of that particular box which is in operative relation to the picker 5 at any particular time, it being understood that the boxes are adjustable vertically as a unit in order to bring any desired box into proper position for the shuttle contained therein to be acted on by the picker stick. As shown this arm 8 is fixed to a rock shaft 10, known as the protector bar, and which as usually constructed has a torsion coil spring 11 thereon adjacent the end of the loom which reacts between a fixedbearing 12 fixed to the lay beam 4 and a collar 14 fixed as by means of a set screw to the shaft. This torsion spring acts to. rock the shaft 10 in a direction to press the finger 8 against the swell or binder of the box 3 and cause this binder to partially close the box. With this construction the binder must be forced outwardly to, permit the shuttle to enter the box, thus imparting a resistance to the movement of the shuttle which brings it to a stop without permitting its full momentum to be expended in a blow against the picker stick. As the spring 11, as. now constructed, imparts a continuous pressure against the swell or binder, a resistance is also produced tending to prevent the ejectment of the shuttle fromthe box which must be overcome by a force expended in actuating the picker stick.

According to the present invention, there fore, means are provided for releasing this pressure of the binder against the shuttle just prior to the time when the shuttle is to be ejected, so that this resistance to the eject ment of the shuttle is removed and thus the work required of the picker stick is much re duced. As shown the means of accomplishing this comprises an arm 15 fixed to the rock shaft 10, the outer end of which is perforated to receive the upper end of a pull rod or link 16 which is preferably formed at its upper end with a more or less ball shaped head 17 which may be seated in a depression 18 in. the end of the arm 15, but which when pressure is permitted to be exerted on the binder is raised somewhat above the arm 15, thus forming a lost motion connection therewith. The lower end of the rod 16 is pivoted to one end of a lever 20 fulcrumed at 21 to the frame of the machine, the opposite end of this lever having thereon a cam follower roll 22 resting on a cam 23 fixed to a longitudinally extending shaft 2 1. This shaft 24L is already found on machines of this type for other purposes and as'it rotates in time with the shuttle movements, is adapted to actuate the shuttle-releasing means. This cam 23 is so formed that just prior to the time of ejectment of the shuttle from the box by actuation of the picker stick, the follower 22 is raised, thus depressing the forward end of the lever 20, pulling downwardly on the rod. 16 and engaging the arm 15 by the head 18 so as to rock the shaft 10 against the tension of the spring 11 and retracting the finger 8 from the binder. After the picker stick has acted the cam 23 permits the rod 16 to rise, thus allowing the finger 8 to return under the action of the torsion spring 11 to impart pressure against the binder. It should be understood that such a mechanism is preferably employed at each end of the loom in order that the proper timing of the parts relative to the action of the picker sticks may be obtained.

It will be noted that the protector rod 10 commonly forms part of the mechanism for automatically stopping the machine in case of a misthrow of the shuttle, that is, when the shuttle thrown from the opposite end of the loom fails to enter the box. When such a misthrow occurs the binder for the corresponding box is not pressed outward, due to the passage of the shuttle into the box, so that the rock shaft 10 is turned further by the action of the spring 11 than if the shuttle were in position since the binder or swell may project further into the box. This ac tion is made use of to stop the machine in case of a misthrow by means of a dagger 25 (see Figures 5 and 6) fixed to this shaft, which, when the lay beam is given its forward swing, if the shuttle is properly in the box, 1s depressed by the outward. rocked poreeaeee sition of the finger 8 so that it passes beneath the end of a release lever 26 which is pivoted at 27 to the machine frame as for example on the breast beam. This lever has one end 28 formed as a cam which when the lever is swung into the dotted line position in Figure 5 cams a lever 29 out from behind a shoulder 130 so that a spring 131 fixed thereto may throw it into machine-stopping position, this lever 29 serving to control the i machine-actuating clutch. When a misthrow occurs the outer end of this dagger is positioned by the different angular position of the shaft 10 so as to strike this lever 26 and move it to the dotted line position whereupon the power is cut off and the machine stops as above described. It will be seen, therefore, that the device of this invention acts without in any way interfering with the action of this stop mechanism since the rod 16 is only depressed after the period in which the dagger is effective in releasing the clutch lever and that the protector rod may functionin its usual manner without hindrance from the release mechanism since in addition to itself it is required to move only the arm 15 and not the whole mechanism or any considerable portion thereof.

In Figure 3, the finger 8 is given its inward pressure against the box binder by means of a tension spring 30 reacting be tween a portion of the arm 15 and a pin 31 projecting forwardly from the beam 32. This spring may be used in addition to the coil spring 11 shown in Figure 2. Coil springs, such as 11, have been found. some what liable to breakage and in case such breakage occurs, the spring 30 will perform the function of properly positioning the finger 8 and the dagger so that the operation of the loom and the proper functioning of the stop mechanism is not effected. Of course, if desired, the spring 30 may he made sufficiently heavy to perform the entire duty of properly positioning the rock shaft and protector bar 10.

In Figure 4. a further modification. is shown in which the spring acting to rock the protector bar is fixed to an arm 35 projecting rearwardly therefrom to which is fixed a spring 36 fixed to the upper end of an adjustable link 37, the lower end of this link being connected to the cam lever 38 fulcrumecl at 39 and having afollower roll 40 engaging a cam 41 on. the shaft 24. Tu this construction the high part of the cam $1 is employed to efi'ect the pressure of the swell or hinder at the proper time to receive the shuttle thrown thereinto by the picker stick at the opposite end of the loom, while the low part of this cam permits the outer end of the cam lever to rise, relieving the tension exerted by the spring 36. The active stroke of the dagger in this case, of

course, occurs while the spring 36 is under e tensi'on, the relief of the tension occurring thereafter and prior to the eject-merit of the shuttle from the corresponding box.

Having thus described certain embodiments of this invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a shuttle box, a shuttle binder for said box, a protector rod having a finger bearing on said binder, and a spring urging said finger to press on said binder, of an arm fixed to said rod, a link having a head engageable with said arm and actuable when moved in one direction to impinge on said arm and rock said rod to retract said finger, said rod being free to move in said direction without moving said link, and means acting to move said link to hold said finger retracted during the ejection of a shuttle from said box.

2. In combination with a shuttle box, a shuttle binder for said box, and a protector rod having a finger bearing on said binder, of an arm fixed to said rod, a spring urging the free end of said arm upwardly to rock said rod and press said finger against said binder, said arm having a slot therethrough, a link extending through said slot and havtle binder for said box, aprotector rod having a finger bearing on said binder, a spring urging said finger against said binder, an arm fixed to said rod and having a slot therethrough, a link extending through said slot and having a head at its upper end engageable with the upper face of said arm, whereby said arm may be rocked downwardly by pulling downwardly on said link, a lever having one end pivoted to the lower end of said link, a shaft, and a cam on said shaft engageable with the opposite end of said'lever and formed to rock said lever to pull downwardly on said link and release the pressure of said finger on said binder when a shuttle in said box is to be ejected therefrom. I

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

WILLIAM J. MOMICHAEL. 

